Cozier announces significant price cut on basic necessities
20-pound cooking gas to cost EC$30 in January
By Pauline Waruguru
Nevis Reporter, SKNVibes.com
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Junior Minister of Trade Dwight Cozier
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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis - DESPITE criticisms from members of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) that cost of living was not addressed by the 2009 Budget, Nevis’ Junior Minister of Trade Dwight Cozier last week in Parliament announced major price cuts on basic necessities.
The small cooking gas cylinder (20-pound) will cost $EC30 while the large (100-pound) will cost EC$140. Also, according to nominated Minister Carlisle Powell, by December 2009 the surcharge will fall from .41 to .28 for Commercial and .28 to .14 for Domestic.
Cozier said since his appointment as Junior Minister of Trade he and his staff have worked round the clock to reorganise and build the capacity of the government-owned Office Supply to better deliver. He said when the CCM-led Nevis Island Administration (NIA) was in office, an EC$1M debt was incurred at the Office Supplies.
He said the NIA would continue to subsidise basic necessities such as rice, sugar, milk, flour toilet paper and animal feeds. He also said there is no tax levied on basic necessities and that his staff would constantly give consumers weekly updates with regard to prices of food items.
Cozier also told Parliament that five containers of milk ordered from Peru were sitting at Basseterre since May 2006. When the milk was offloaded, he said, it resulted in an EC$150 000 spoilage. He said since 1992 when the CCM took office, prices at the Office Supplies had not been monitored, adjusted or regulated.
Cozier also noted that stimulus packages were given to small businesses and they have been exempted from customs duties. ~~Adz:Right~~
He said the Premier of Nevis, Joseph Parry, was leading the island responsibly and had sought audience with the Four Seasons Resort. As a result, Cozier said, all employees had been retained waiting opening of the resort and they would also receive a basic pay.
He said the CCM Administration had not negotiated on behalf of the Four Seasons Resort when it was devastated by hurricane in 1999 and 420 workers were asked the leave the premises. “Some were thrown out unceremoniously,” he added.
Cozier also said it is the hard work and sweat of local Nevisians that resulted in the Four Seasons Resort being branded a number one hotel globally.
The Junior Minister pointed out that 180 jobs are expected to be created in 2008 alone by Brown Hill Communication, a call centre that does business for Bell Canada. He added that 84 employees, mainly youths, are already employed and an additional 90 are hoped to be employed before the year ends.
